[Chi-townChief]

CHICAGOLAND PING

[satchmodog9]

We always said State Street was the Mason Dixon line.

[Charles Henrickson]

Dudderday: "So I sees dis guy dudderday, and I sez to him, I sez. . . ."

[Charles Henrickson]

I'm goin' to Jewels to pick up some sassage.

Or, "I'm goin' to da Jool. . . ."

[Charles Henrickson]

"Da Mare" -- the latter denoting Richard M. Daley, or Richie, as he's often called.

Akshilly, da REAL Mare Daley is not da kid, Richie, but de old man, Hizzoner Da Mare, Richard J. Daley.

[Charles Henrickson]

an Italian Beef sammich, a local delicacy consisting of piles of spicy meat in a perilously soggy bun.

Or just simply, "a beef," as in, "Hey, I'm goin' over to Portillo's to get me a beef. Y'want anyting?"

The Italian beef sandwich, along with the deep-dish pizza, is one of Chicago's two greatest contributions to the civilized world. I think a good Chicago hot dog, nestled in a steamed poppy seed bun and buried under a mountain of "stuff," would be the third.

[facedown]

gangway = alley
parkway = treelawn

[Supernatural]

Pittsburgh language and the Mon-Valley dialect isn't so far off from Chicago talk.

We call pop, pop around here, not soda. A soda is pop with ice cream in it.

Younse is a common term meaning "you guys" or everyone present.

The Steelers are the "Stillers".

Downtown is Dahntahn.

[wingman1]

Thanks for all the memories.

Let me add one to the list: 16 inch softball - w/o gloves. It is a sport exclusive to Chicago.

Several years ago, the City 16 inch champs challenged the White Sox to a game of 16 ", and the Sox took a pass. They knew they'd get beat.

I'll "be back in Chi" this August for my 40th reunion.

[Polonius]

I haven't lived in Chicago since I was about 10, but I'll always remember the Empire Carpets jingle.

[junta]

You forgot, "How ya doin."

[Right_Handed_Writer]

The alley is the alley and a gangway ain't the alley. You play ball in de alley and you go tru da gangway to get to da yard.

As in: "Gitcher bike outta da gangway and put it in da graj."

And I don't go Downtown, I take de "L" to da Loop.

[TwoSue]

I worked at Carson's.

[Right_Handed_Writer]

"26. Expressways: The Interstates in the immediate Chicago land area are usually known just by their 'name' and not their Interstate number: the Dan Ryan ("da Ryan"), the Stevenson, the Kennedy (da "Kennedy"), the Eisenhower (da "Ike"), and the Edens (just "Edens" but Da Edens" is acceptable)."

And dat road dat runs along da Lake. You know, da Drive.

[eastforker]

personaly I don't give a damn how you do it up north.

[chicagolady]

Southern Illinois: Anything south of I-80.

This is Incorrect

It's anything south of Madison Ave.

[Barnacle]

All I can say is...

Mohawk four, four one hundred.
Thats' Mohawk four, four one hundred.
Call now! Operators are waiting.

[lesser_satan]

bump

[lesser_satan]

bump

[Billthedrill]

Yeh - I'm not from around there, so the following conversation had me scratching my head:

"Jeet?"
"No, Jew?"

My Mom, who's from there, set me straight. It was the conversational prelude to a visit to Da Loop for a beef. (??? OK, Mom, whatever...)